New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-01-13
TIE PRISON REPORT


The annual report of the Superintendent 81
State Prisons, which was submitted to the
Icoislo,,,rc YES crdav. Is u document of IN
usual ml ortancc. Ten years aSo tho pms II
policy of Ncw-York WAS a ideally altered. Ad-
mms,I5l'iou by inspectors went out Aunih
,stra,ion by single head came in. mat thc
change was for the better, that 1t worked
,alutary reform in n field whore reform han
tong been solcly ntcdcd. is within the KNOW
edge Of everybody familiar with the course
Of State affairs Under the old system The
prisons took hundreds Of thousands OF dollars
annually out OF tho pockets Of the taxpayers
for the last SIX years they have Teen sell
sustaining.
But in 1888 "a snag WINS struck. That year
the Legislature was Democratic IN bo'h
branches. Too cowardly 10 attempt soiuhoh
of the prison problem, or even to make goo'
profIse Democratic campaign protniscs LOOK
ing 20 the abolition of the convict contract
tabor system. that L"gisllhuc shirkcd iis duty
and referred the whole matter TO The people
at the ensuing election. The popular vote
what there was Of 1t, for II was 10y no mans
n full one-was against thc contract s}scm'
Succeeding Legislatures, while accepting uiS
decision as final, have not succeeded IN hnding
n system Of labor "a good IA the one when
was voted down. IcOnOclaSm IS always easier
than construction. II is simple enough To say
hat the contract system shall lie abolished
but il is by no means simple 10 point out how
the prison problem Is 10 ie solved alike TO the
satisfaction Of the taxpayer, the free laborcr
and the philanthropist with any other system
Superintendent Baker faces situation
fraugbt with crave embarrassment. large
number Of prisoners are idle a still larger
numler are soon TO bc idle. This threatens
not only material loss To the State, but the
moral. mental and physical deterioration Of the
prisoner. Mr.. Baker puts the ease strong
W. and earnestly urges that the present Legs
aure will promptly come to his relief. Tho
asst Legislature, in response 10 similar APP
pcal, adopted the State account system but
failed TO make the necessary appropriation
In addition, it passed an act creating Prison
Reform Commission. This Commission is to
cport by the lO.h OF next February chow
best 10 employ the cOnyicts other
than by convict system"
Mr. Baker stairs that better results have
lccn obtained in the last two years with State
account industries than ever had been before
in the prisons of this State, and adds this
suggcs ion:
fit shall held that contract shall be made for the
labor Of any prisoners tho other two systems open
and it viii occur To the Legislature that both Of them may
he authorized may be fully tested and the compare
five value Of each use in this State be reached
by such trial There Is known 10 the superin-
tendcnt why systems not be put into In the
same prison.
The course here recommended would seem
TO lc inn cratively demanded in view Of the
figures Of the last fiscal year. For although
Sing Sing Prison shows surplus Of
1905 ~ and Clinton Of 500 Ia 80, the ag
gIcgaie is nea ~ wiped out by tho deficiency
a. Auburn soO,49l ID, Arising from the non
employment Of prisoners. The Legislature
will have no more pressing mater presented
o 1t during the present session. 1t is to bc
hoped that, az soon as the report Of the Com.
miss on is received il will promptly pass the
necessary measure of relief.